Gone
by Funeral.Bell
Summary: To forgive is to forget. To remember is to regret.


**A/N**: I decided to pursue in this one-shot a sad fic with tensaishipping. I read the stuff, but it gets me so depressed. I need to venture; might as well get it done. (Someone has already done this but it is **_so better_** compared to this **drivel**.)  
**Warning**: Shota, implied sex (which is why it's rated M), chara death, pretty short, and ooc-ness? Eh.  
**Summary**: To forgive is to forget. To remember is to regret.  
**Disclaimer**: Praise Arceus I ain't no owner. xD

* * *

The opposing teams, Aqua and Magma, were silently providing themselves to the further succession of awakening the lurking legendaries; the two beasts will clash for dominance as the mascot for the two rivals. However, the two teams would rather have perfected everything steadily than have a choppy resolution – in other words they were taking their time in the shadows. This provided Ruby to further spend his time with the most peculiar but strangely divining human bemused by the elevator music. Ruby felt worried—he would hardly believe the knot in his stomach would be some sort of premonition—his face paled every time he stole a glance at the blue-eyed man: so composed, relaxed, humming to the elevator no less! And yet here he was, Ruby gripping the handles behind him for dear life, supporting his trembling legs so they would not give way.

Something else had to be done. Who could have ever deemed the next time they cross paths it would be the most uneventful one yet.

Ruby clenched his eyes shut, oh how the negative commentary had been fixated in his head for much too long. Immediately he shook his head, opening his scarlet-red eyes and gazing at the smiling Steven Stone. Their moments inscribed in memory were almost too beautiful to ever forget, the fluttering feeling in Ruby's stomach made his cheeks flush, the thickening tension made his legs quiver. The child concentrated far too much in contests that he drew himself a barrier of self-loathing and a severely bad case of self-esteem issues ever since the incident in his childhood where he felt an awfully burning sensation of pain and shame, the deep amount of humiliation presented itself again when Steven jestingly snatched the beanie off the boy's head despite Ruby's protest. The feeling of shame in that moment had a bitter linger between the chocking pause the two shared.

The two ugly scars marked him for a foolish mistake and Ruby always felt repulsive if anyone were to even steal a glimpse of it. Ruby had his sight fixed on his shoes, his expression concealed by his black bangs. As if expectant for Steven to frown or twitch his arms in a manner of sheer disgust…instead he felt an indescribable warmth around his small body. He could pick up Steven's paced breath that day, all it took the man was a simple sentence to capture the boy's fragile heart: "You shouldn't hide yourself, Ruby, because the way I see it under this hat lies a beautiful gem."

Ruby was rendered speechless that day. From several weeks onward it was accompanied by talking, hugging, kissing…and "I love you" repeated sweetly in Ruby's ear.

Ruby nodded, very content on their precious time spent together to this point. The child's heart raced upon arriving at their designated floor, his ears were radiating with warmth as he blinked stupidly at Steve's offering hand. A noteworthy pause finally regained Ruby back to his senses, his lips twitching to a soft smile as he finally held Steven's hand. The pair entered the room, Ruby nodded absentmindedly and apparently agreeing to flicker the lights on for the true purpose of the reservation in a hotel—they were a good distance away from any pokémon center.

At the very last moment Ruby collapsed on the nook of Steve's neck, panting heavily from exhaustion.

Steven had already tugged off Ruby's hat some time ago; his long digits peacefully ran through the black locks. As for Ruby he curled his hands to a fist but still wore a smile when Steven whispered: "I love you, Ruby."

And like always Ruby would only nod, tonight he gradually drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Day 5

"Sorry, Steven. I know I'm late, but…I couldn't bring myself to come on your rightful ceremony. I couldn't bear the sight of seeing you…dead." Ruby muttered whilst leaving a large bouquet of flowers on the barren soil. The boy's small finger traced over the line of the marker, the hot tears slowly sliding down his cheeks. "I wish…I wish you were still here…you have no idea how much I miss you."

Ruby grabbed his hat, yanking it off his head and tightening the piece in his hand, "See? I only take it off for you."

The two small hands were thrown on the headstone, his head sinking lower beneath his arms, his teeth chattering to his excessive crying. "Answer me, Steven! You can't be dead…you…just can't."

* * *

Day 20

Ruby sat humming behind Steven's headstone, his smile wide and his eyes gazing at the passing clouds over the blue horizon. "Guess what, Steven? Mom and dad have been acting so silly, all they're doing is yapping how I'm skipping therapy. They think I'm so ill that instead of taking me to a psychiatrist, they drag me to therapy instead 'cause that offers medication," Ruby stated the last three words in a mock tone.

"Mom was against it but dad said, 'The truth is there but he adamantly denies it: there's something just wrong with him.' That's not true, at least!"

A silence withheld the momentary pause; Ruby shifted uncomfortably and faced the headstone. "W-What's wrong? This would be the time when you reassure me, Steven!" Small fist pounded on the moist soil from the storm that had occurred a few hours prior to Ruby's visit.

* * *

Year 1, day 19

Ruby's fingers traced the marker's letters, inscribed it read the name of the dead.

"Mom got pretty happy I calmed down, dad is just the same as usual. They thought the sessions were working so well I wouldn't need to go anymore…I actually had a mental breakdown after I beat Wallace."

Red, soulless eyes gazed at his hands tearing the blades of grass around his shoes. Several tears almost escaped his eyes until he violently wiped them with his sleeve.

"Mom and dad were so excited when I beat the first four, so they rushed to see my final battle. I think something inside me snapped when Wallace was leading me to the Hall of Fame. I gave it my best to beat him, I tried to look happy because I pictured myself one day I would be facing you instead of Wallace. I _pictured_ you would be escorting me to the Hall of Fame," Ruby hiccupped loudly, suppressing the hot tears from falling, "I…I _pictured_ _you_ would pat me on the head and congratulate me _instead_ of Wallace!"

A trail of mucus ran down his nose, his hiccups were louder from his violent sobbing. "M-My parents s-said I cr-cried uncontrollably in…in front of W-Wallace…"

Watery red eyes stared at the headstone for a long term until one single whimper escaped his lips-

"Steven..."

* * *

Year 8, month 7

"Dad has been trying to convince me that it's not healthy 'dragging' this on too long even after marrying Sapphire for over a month now. They wouldn't know, they wouldn't understand. Sapphire is already sensing how this marriage won't go so well and recently she was talking over the phone. I heard her crying, she mentioned no matter how much she tried she couldn't get me hard. She_ mentioned _how I hardly ever smiled around her. The love and sex life are determined to end out horribly, she said."

Ruby nonchalantly shrugged, twirling his fingers together as a blush crept on his cheeks. "Unlike Sapphire, you were able to make me smile in a heartbeat; you gave me the best my night of my life that day. But…dad found one of my old journals and found out what happened. You should have seen his face! I swore it almost looked like he wanted to cry for the first time in years, I made sure he didn't when I explained that I wanted it all along."

"Nothing is going right at all; everything has become a monochromatic world right before my eyes. As tacky as it may sound, Steven, I regret how I couldn't spend more time with you and embrace the different variety of colors."

* * *

Year 9, month 12

Ruby loosened his tie, his fleeting smile has yet to disappear from his face. "We called it quits, Sapphire and I. The inevitable had come and mom hasn't stop crying for my sake. Like geez, I'm not devastated how Sapphire declared to have a divorce. Actually, I'm kinda relieved."

He exhaled through his nose, resting his fist under his chin in total concentration for a brief moment. "I promised myself I wouldn't cry anymore, but I'm alone again…"

For a good half an hour Ruby only stood in front of the marker in absolute silence.

* * *

Year 10, month one

Bandages were wrapped around his head, an eye patch concealed one eye, and one strap had been thrown over the opposite shoulder as an arm sling. Numerous scratches were on his face, several on the corner of this good eye, and his bottom lip had a deep gash but showing signs of gradual recovering by forming a scar in its place. He sat plainly on his wheelchair, thankfully over the years the cemetery had made a solid pavement.

"When I was driving I purposely ran into a tree, I was going pretty fast and thought the speed would kill me. I wanted an instant death. Something to kill me in one, two, three instead of a gun or knife. They just had to save me, now I'm left with this hideous fractured body permanently. The doctors explained I would never be able to walk again, the nerves on several of my fingers died and I can't feel them anymore."

Silence.

"I want to be with you, Steven. Nobody was ever able to match in comparison—I hate them, Steven. I hate living right now…"

He bit down on his lip, violently diverting his attention to anywhere else except the marker. "I remember every time you said you love me. And not once was I able to tell you, but what's the point when you're dead…? I damn myself; I regret it time and time again…"

A pause.

_I'm so sorry I never got to say-_

"I love you…Steven."

* * *

**A/N**: At first I thought it was alright. But now that I look over this after a month and half finishing this piece…wow. It SUCKS. (And trust me, I've tried patching it up.) I guess my heart and soul wasn't really up to this. :/ (I got Ruby's role based on this person I met a long time ago. It was really upsetting.)


End file.
